الفهرس 
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Abstract
Antimicrobial agents are widely used in veterinary medicine to overcome many infections in poultry farms. Among well-developed antibacterial agents in veterinary practice are cefotaxime and marbofloxacin. They are used for control of salmonellosis affecting poultry industry that causes major economic losses. The present study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with cefotaxime and marbofloxacin separately on experimentally infected chickens with Salmonella Entritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium for three successive days with regard to their effect on clinical signs, mortality rate, body weight, weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion rate. Special attention was paid to the effect of the drugs on hematological changes as well as the effect on liver and kidney functions.The results were summarized as follow: One hundred and fifty chicks one day old were divided into 6 equal groups, 25 chicks each as the following: First group (G1): the non-infected - non treated negative control group inoculated via crop with crop gavage (0.5 ml normal saline) at 18th day of age. Second group (G2): the infected group with Salmonella Entritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium. The chicks in this group were inoculated via crop with crop gavage (0.5 ml of 6 x 108 CFU/ml) at 18th day of age and non-treated. Third group (G3): the non-infected group inoculated via crop with crop gavage (0.5 ml normal saline) and injected intramuscularly with cefotaxime at dose 10 mg /kg b.w at 18th day of age. Fourth group (G4): non-infected group inoculated via crop with crop gavage (0.5 ml normal saline) and injected intramuscularly with marbofloxacin at dose 10 mg /kg b.w at 18th day of age.Fifth group (G5): is infected group with Salmonella Entritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium. The chicks in this group were inoculated via crop with crop gavage (0.5 ml of 6 x 108 CFU/ml) at 18th day of age and treated with intramuscular injection for 3 successive days with cefotaxime at dose 10 mg /kg b.w. Sixth group (G6): is infected group with Salmonella Entritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium. The chicks in this group were inoculated via crop with crop gavage (0.5 ml of 6 x 108 CFU/ml) at 18th day of age and treated with intramuscular injection for 3 successive with marbofloxacin at dose 10 mg /kg b.w. The obtained results were as follow: 1) Clinical signs: Most experimentally infected non-treated chicks revealed somnolence, profuse diarrhea followed by pasting vents and dehydration, ruffled feathers, lameness, lack of appetite followed by growth retardation. Also dropping wings and shivering had been noticed. Administration of cefotaxime and marbofloxacin improve the disease symptoms and progressively disappearance of these symptoms. 2) Effect of tested drugs on mortality rate: Mortality rate attributed to infection with Salmonella Entritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium in the non-treated groups was 32% and the treatment with cefotaxime and marbofloxacin markedly reduced the mortality rate to 8% and 12% respectively. 3) Effect of tested drugs on lesion scores (post mortem examination): Most experimentally infected non treated chicks revealed perihepatitis with bronze discoloration enlarged liver with necrotic foci on the surface (85%) and splenomegaly with necrotic foci on the surface of the spleen (34%). Other changes included mild grayish nodular areas on the heart with thickening of pericardium (32%). The most predominant lesions were visceral organs and inflammation of the intestinal mucosa with mucoid intestinal contents (54%). The main gross pathological lesions in chicks infected with Salmonella Entritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium and non-medicated were airsaculitis 80%, pericarditis 60% and perihepatitis 50%.The treatment of experimentally infected chicks with cefotaxime reduces the gross pathological lesion score of liver to (8%), spleen to (9%) heart to (4%) and intestine to (15%). While the main pathological lesion score of liver became (8%), spleen (9%) heart (10%) and intestine (17%) in infected group medicated with marbofloxacin (10mg/kg b.wt) for 3 successive days (G6). 4) Effect of tested drugs on body weight and weight gain percent: The experimentally infected non treated chickens showed a significant decrease in body weight and weight gain along the experimental period compared with the other tested groups. The treatment of experimentally infected birds with either cefotaxime or marbofloxacin each alone evoked an increase in body weight and weight gain compared with the infected non treated chickens. 5) Effect of tested drugs on food consumption and conversion rate: The experimentally infected non treated birds showed lower total food consumption and higher feed conversion rate along the experimental period compared with the other tested groups. The treatment of experimentally infected birds with cefotaxime and marbofloxacin each alone evoked higher total food consumption and lower feed conversion rate throughout the experimental period compared with the infected non treated chickens. 6) Effect of tested drugs on the hematological results: The non-infected treated chickens with cefotaxime showed significant increase in total erythrocytic count and hemoglobin concentration compared with that of the infected non-treated and infected treated chickens on the 14th day post treatment. Healthy non infected broiler chickens treated with marbofloxacin showed a significant decrease in hemoglobin concentration compared with all other groups on the 7th and 14th day post treatment. The results revealed that the Infected - non treated groups showed a significant increase in total leukocytic count compared with all other groups on the first day post treatment.The non-infected group treated with cefotaxime showed a significant decrease in total leukocytic count (TLC) compared with all other groups at first day post treatment. Meanwhile a significant increase in TLC in the infected group treated with cefotaxime was recorded compared with all other groups except the infected no-treated group on 7th and 14th day post treatment.7) Effect of tested drugs on serum biochemical parameters: Effect on liver function parameters: Infected chickens with Salmonella Entritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium showed elevated activities of AST and ALT together with a significant decrease in serum total protein and globulins along the experimental period. The healthy non infected broiler chickens treated with cefotaxime revealed a significant increase in serum AST, ALT, total protein and albumin activities compared with non-infected non-treated birds. The infected treated broilers with cefotaxime on the 14th day of treatment. While marbofloxacin administration induced significant increase in serum AST and ALT activities and a significant decrease in serum globulins levels with insignificant decrease in serum total protein compared with non-infected non-treated birds. Effect on kidney function: The administration of cefotaxime to healthy and infected broiler chickens induces a significant increase in uric acid levels compared with control group on the 14th day of treatment. The results revealed that the non-infected group - treated with cefotaxime show significant decreasein serum creatinine compared with of the infected group - treated with cefotaxime on the first and 14th day post treatment and showed no significant on 7th day post treatment. The results revealed also that the non-infected group - treated with marbofloxacin showed a significant increase in serum creatinine levels compared with the infected group - treated with marbofloxacin on the first and 7th day post treatment.